Entire Travel Group has revealed that Consolidated Travel Group (CTG) has acquired 40 per cent of the company from joint owners, managing director Brad McDonnell and sales and marketing director Greg McCallum.
Entire Travel Group says the move will lead to providing a strong platform for accelerated growth of the company’s travel products and services, and will also see CTG executive, Ari Magoutis, join the Entire Travel Group Board.
McDonnell said the decision to invest in Entire Travel Group represents a coming together of two long-established, like-minded, Australian family-owned business.
“Given the respect we have for CTG and its management team, we were delighted to explore partnership opportunities,” McDonnell said.
“This arrangement unlocks further opportunities for investment in areas such as product, destinations, distribution, technology and events. Ultimately, it allows Entire Travel Group to continue exploring new ways to better support our trade partners – in that sense it’s very much business as usual.”
McDonnell said he was particularly delighted to welcome Magoutis to the company’s Board, after dealing with him for many years in his previous role as executive general manager of Express Travel Group.
“I have no doubt that Ari’s insights and expertise, gained during a long and distinguished career across the retail and consolidation sectors, will add enormous value to Entire Travel Group.”
CTG managing director Dennis Alysandratos also welcomed the partnership and said he was equally excited about working closely with Entire Travel Group.
“Entire Travel Group is a business we have long admired and respected. The company’s trade-friendly approach, along with its innovative technology and marketplace integrity, is something that appealed to us and we see these qualities completely aligning with CTG’s core values.
“Entire Travel Group has also grown in size and stature in recent years as Brad and Greg astutely evolved their product and service offerings while maintaining the highest levels of customer service. We share and support their vision for the company and look forward to contributing to Entire Travel Group’s long-term success.”
Over the past five years, Entire Travel Group has steadily expanded its array of destinations and products, including the introduction of an extensive range of pre-designed independent holiday packages.
The company also developed a ground-breaking online booking platform that allows travel agents to seamlessly customise, quote and book hundreds of exclusive packages.
Most recently, Entire Travel Group launched its annual Travel Showcase & Soirees. Held in February across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the events are now established as the Australian travel industry’s largest independent trade show.
